Chapter 21, the Martial Arts College Entrance Examination, begins!

[June 7th, early morning.]

[The sky over Longnan City was as clear as a blue wash.]

[The entire city seemed to have been put on mute; only the cordons around the examination halls and the fully armed Martial Artists on duty silently spoke of the day's importance.]

[The Martial Arts College Entrance Examination was the Federation's annual grand event. It was an opportunity for countless students to leap over the Dragon Gate and a Shura Field for aristocratic families to test the mettle of their descendants.]

[Carrying your stationery bag, you blended into the bustling crowd and entered the examination hall of Longnan No. 1 High School.]

[“Look! That's Li Ang!”]

[“That 'Theory Emperor'? I heard he disappeared for half a year; I thought he'd dropped out.”]

[“Tch, what's the use of being good at theory? He's not a liberal arts student. In the Martial Arts College Entrance Examination, the martial arts subjects are the main part. He hasn't been seen for half a year; he's probably long since fallen behind.”]

[The surrounding whispers reached your ears. Your expression remained calm, and you ignored them.]

...

[Day One: Written Exam · Invincible Theory]

[At 9:00 AM, the bell rang.]

[Sitting in the center of the examination hall, you spread out the "Comprehensive Martial Arts Theory Paper" that would decide the fates of countless people.]

[This was one of the important goals of your trip: to know the exam questions in advance.]

[You quickly scanned the paper.]

[“Question One: Briefly describe the impact of 'Move, Block, and Punch' on the circulation of Qi and blood in the third set of movements of 'Broadcasting Body Tempering Art,' and draw a diagram of the meridian flow.”]

[The corners of your mouth curled up slightly.]

[Your pen tip danced across the paper. Not only did you write down the standard answer, but you also added a note: “If this movement is combined with the 'three long, one short' breathing technique, the conversion rate of Qi and blood can be increased by 20%, but one must pay attention to the endurance of the Lung Meridian.”]

...

[Throughout the day, while other candidates were scratching their heads in frustration, you were like an emotionless answering machine.]

[You stopped writing half an hour early.]

[When you handed in your paper, the proctor picked it up and glanced at it casually at first, but his gaze soon froze.]

[The handwriting was neat, and the logic was rigorous.]

[Especially regarding the discussion on the weaknesses of exotic beasts; you didn't just provide the standard textbook answers but even noted potential variables and response details in actual combat.]

[“This student's level is very high.”]

[The proctor pushed up his glasses and gave you a few more looks, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.]

[Among candidates who relied entirely on rote memorization, it was indeed rare to find someone who understood theory so thoroughly.]

[The news spread like wildfire. By the end of the first day, rumors of “God Li's Return” had already begun to ferment in various candidate groups.]

[But even more people were waiting to see you make a fool of yourself.]

[After all, there is no undisputed first in literature, but there is in martial arts. Tomorrow's martial exam would be the time to see the real results.]

...

[Day Two: Martial Exam · Crimson Gauze Shocks the World]

[June 8th. Inside the martial arts hall, the noise was deafening.]

[The huge electronic screen displayed candidate information. The martial exam was divided into three stages: Realm Test, Physical Fitness Test, and Actual Combat Arena Tournament.]

[First was the Realm Test.]

[This was the most direct and cruel segment. Candidates only needed to place their hands on a special “Qi and Blood Sensing Stone,” and the values would be clear at a glance.]

[“Wang Gang, Fourth Stage of Qi and Blood, Early Stage.”]

[“Zhao Min, Fifth Stage of Qi and Blood, Peak.”]

[“Liao Fan, Qi and Blood Seventh Stage, Middle Stage!]

[Heavens, as expected of the Class 2 monitor!”]

[As Liao Fan's results lit up, a burst of exclamations erupted from the crowd.]

[In previous years, the Qi and Blood Seventh Stage would have already been a strong contender for the top scholar of Longnan City.]

[“Next, Li Ang!”]

[The examiner's voice rang out.]

[The gaze of the entire audience focused instantly. How much weight did that “Theory Emperor” who had disappeared for half a year still carry?]

[You stepped forward slowly, your expression indifferent.]

[You extended your right hand and lightly pressed it onto the sensing stone.]

[“Vroom—”]

[The sensing stone trembled violently, and the originally faint red light suddenly surged, turning into a blinding pillar of light that shot into the sky! The intensity of that light even overshadowed all the previous candidates.]

[It wasn't just light.]

[The candidates in the front row were shocked to find a faint layer of gauze, like flowing red mercury, appearing on the surface of your body at some point.]

[It was soft yet tough, emitting a heart-palpitating pressure.]

[“Is that... Crimson Gauze of Qi and Blood?!”]

[The recording pen in the examiner's hand fell to the ground with a “clack.”]

[In the next second, the numbers on the electronic screen jumped frantically, finally settling on a result that left everyone breathless—]

[Ninth Stage of Qi and Blood (Crimson Gauze Realm)!]

[Dead silence.]

[The entire martial arts hall fell into a deathly silence.]

[Wu Changhe, sitting on the rostrum, was currently crossing his legs with a calm “no big deal” expression, but his shaking leg betrayed his inner ecstasy.]

[“Did you see that? That's my student!”]

...

[Fitness Test: Overlapping Waves First Appearance]

[If the Realm Test was merely intimidating, then the following fitness test was a true visual feast.]

[Strength Test Area.]

[You stood before the alloy fist target. Without using Crimson Gauze, you just took a deep breath, recalling the power-exertion techniques of “Nine Layers of Overlapping Waves.”]

[First Wave... Second Wave... Third Wave!]

[“Ha!”]

[With a punch thrown, the air exploded.]

[“Bang!!!”]

[The alloy fist target let out a painful groan, and the entire testing instrument shook violently.]

[Punch Force: 8,500 kg!]

[“Holy crap! Eight and a half tons? Is this a human-shaped tyrannosaur?!” The surrounding candidates gasped.]

[One should know that the standard punch force of an ordinary Ninth Stage of Qi and Blood is only around 5,000 kg.]

[This punch of yours, backed by ten years of power, fully demonstrated the depth of your Foundation.]

[Speed Test Area.]

[With a slight movement of your Water-elemental Ability beneath your feet, you moved like a flowing phantom, weaving through the complex obstacle zone.]

[100-meter obstacles: 2.8 seconds!]

[This series of data not only refreshed the school history records of Longnan No. 1 High School but even approached the highest record in the entire province!]

[The whole venue was in an uproar.]

...

[Day Three: Eve of Actual Combat]

[With the first two assessments over, you were temporarily ranked first in the city with an indisputable perfect score.]

[But everyone knew the real highlight was tomorrow—the Actual Combat Arena Tournament.]

[According to this year's new regulations, actual combat adopted a “point-assignment system.” Candidates would compete in ranking battles on the arena, and the final ranking would determine up to 300 points of the actual combat score.]

[At the top of the ranking list, only two names were the most dazzling.]

[First Place: Li Ang (Ninth Stage of Qi and Blood · Crimson Gauze Realm · Water-elemental Ability).]

[Second Place: Liu Xiyue (Ninth Stage of Qi and Blood · Crimson Gauze Realm · Ice-elemental Ability).]

[In many people's eyes, this was not just a fight for first place, but the ultimate showdown between commoners and aristocratic families, and between Acquired effort and Innate resources.]

[That night, Wu Changhe found you while you were wiping your blade.]

[“Are you nervous?”]

[“I'm not nervous.” You sheathed your blade, the fire of ambition burning in your eyes.]

[“Teacher, you said that only the Twin Stars are worthy of my talent.”]

[“Tomorrow, I will use this blade to hack open the gates leading to the Twin Stars.”]

[“Good!” Wu Changhe nodded heavily. “I've already collected all the information on Liu Xiyue for you.]

[While her Ice-elemental Ability is overbearing, it's not without a solution; physical stamina is not her strong suit.”]

[“Remember the ‘Nine Layers of Overlapping Waves’ you've been practicing these past few days. Defend, build momentum, and then... a one-hit kill!”]

[“Understood.”]